Congratulations to Anthony Fantano of theneedledrop, the channel that received the most votes for our September On The Rise poll. Anthony’s channel will be featured on the YouTube homepage today thanks to your support.

Hailing from Connecticut, Anthony began his independent music reviewing career in 2007 with the goal of introducing people to new songs, albums, and artists. His critiques of various indie rock, pop, and experimental bands have earned him a dedicated following across his various review outlets. And varied they are: The Needle Drop programming includes a regular blog, an NPR radio podcast, and of course the YouTube channel you voted for this month. So whether you’re into Fleet Foxes, Danny Brown or Andrew Jackson Jihad - or whether you’ve never heard of them and are just looking to expand your music library - let Anthony be your guide. He explains his channel’s history and purpose in more detail in the video below.

If you’re open to learning about new albums from bands you may not know, here’s a plug from Anythony himself:

Hey, you! Yeah, you! Wanna try out some new music? Bend your mind with some fresh sounds? That's what this YouTube channel is all about: theneedledrop. It's hosted by the Internet's Busiest Music Nerd, Anthony Fantano, and follows him on his personal adventures through the newest albums out there. Hear some opinions and get turned on to some artists you might not know about yet in the process. Have a nice day. Thank you for reading!

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!